Welcome To 'The Beat'

With the launch of Patch’s new blogging platform, Norristown Patch has a brand new tool for getting our readers engaged. I’m hoping some of you will take advantage of this opportunity and try out our blog platform. You can write about anything on your mind – I won’t edit or censor your blog as long as you adhere to our guidelines. It’ll be your blog, it’ll just live on my site.

Since I’m asking my readers to speak up, I thought it was only fair that I be the blogging guinea pig. I had been considering writing a column where I discuss the trials and tribulations of running Norristown Patch – a sort of backstage pass to the inner workings of an online news outlet – and the type of conversation I’m hoping to spark with it seems pretty fitting for this platform. I’m hoping that making journalism a little more transparent will make this truly more of a community effort.

I’ll take it a bit slow for this inaugural post and start by asking you, dear readers, what you want from me and from Norristown Patch. I’m guessing not everyone will agree on what they’d like this site to be, but I’d love to hear what you’d like to see. What am I doing right? What do I need to do better? (Rest assured I have a laundry list for that topic already, but maybe you’ve got an idea I haven’t even thought of.) What are your favorite regular features on Norristown Patch? What do you hate?

I can tell you what my biggest obstacle so far is – being a one-man operation. There are so many stories that need to be told and not enough hours in the day to cover them, let alone write, edit, format and post them. My “To Do List” is epic. I’m hoping that will change with the few interns I’m hoping to take on in the summer. I’ve got plenty of work to go around so if you know of anyone who’s interested in journalism, new media or just writing in general, feel free to have them contact me. I could use all the help I can get.

I’m also always looking for freelancers. No one will get rich writing for Patch but I do have a modest budget to pay stringers. If you’ve got some journalism or writing experience and would like to make a little extra scratch, drop me a line.

Norristown Patch is only four months old and we’ve got a lot of growing to do. I’m hoping we can do that together. We’ll have more to talk about in the days and weeks to come, but for now I’m guessing I’ve given you enough to ponder.

If you feel like you’ve got something to say (an axe to grind, a bone to pick, or a topic you’d like to wax poetic about) and would like a blog of your own on Norristown Patch, contact me at james.myers@patch.com.